Collaboration with Bolt of Cloth

August 14, 2015August 15, 2015 / Mel_inHelsinki / 3 Comments

Last Christmas I wrote a story for Verve magazine on how to shop for Nordic inspired gifts in Auckland, New Zealand. I contacted Bolt of Cloth in Newmarket for photos, as they stock a large range of products by Finnish design house Marimekko.

Image: Marimekko

Earlier this year, they got back in touch and invited me to be a guest cushion chooser in their weekly Cushion Cover Deal. My task was to choose three cushion covers from their range and explain why they appeal to me.

Image: Bolt of Cloth

I chose Marimekko’s Siltolapuutarha (allotment garden) design. The colours and patterns remind me of the sea and forests of New Zealand.

Sea Urchin Skeletons — Image by © Radius Images/Corbis

The benefit to customers is they can buy the three covers I chose, while only paying for two.

Image: Bolt of Cloth

The benefit to me, as well as them promoting my blog, is that Jess from Bolt of Cloth is on her way to Helsinki on her first big overseas trip. We will meet for the first time in September and I’m looking forward to getting together and talking about all things Finnish and New Zealand.

This was a collaboration, I didn’t receive anything other than Bolt of Cloth mentioning my blog on their website and the chance to meet a new friend. ; )

Miko and the Great Danes

August 9, 2015August 9, 2015 / Mel_inHelsinki / 8 Comments

Everyone likes receiving mail and everyone likes receiving gifts – so we were super happy recently to receive a gift in the mail from Danish clothing company Småfolk.

One thing we noticed when we moved to Finland is how many children wear bright patterns on their clothes.

Perhaps it’s to counteract the long dark winters, or all the surrounding adults in our long dark jackets – whatever it is, we like it but have yet to really embrace it for Miko.

So he and I were both super happy with his gifts from Småfolk, which included three tops, some underwear and a pair of rubber boots.

Anyone who’s been shopping for children will know that girls have it so much easier when it comes to variety and style.

I love it that Småfolk designs allow boys to move away from traditional prints with wannabe slogans to do with surfing or trucks.

Their patterns echo the clothes of the 70’s, when they say, children were allowed to be kids. As well as bold colours they incorporate animals, flowers, fruit, vehicles and tools.

They also use quality fabric, in accordance with the Oeko-Tex Standard, which tests for chemicals used in production that can harm the skin and the environment. Fabrics are also tested for colour fastness and must have a skin-friendly pH value.

We love the boots they sent as his old ones recently cracked and we have been told he’ll need them when we go blueberry picking next week.

These items were obviously gifted but I genuinely thank Småfolk for sending us cool quality clothes that still look good after several washes.

I’m looking forward to exploring more of their range on their online store as the cooler months approach.

These clothes were gifted yet all opinions are my own, as is the child that appears in the photos. Huge shout out to anyone who has ever got a three-year old to pose for photographs too. We all know how hard it is to work with them, but did you know how hard it is to shoot them?

Moomin loves you

August 2, 2015 / Mel_inHelsinki / 17 Comments

A friend gave us a family pass to Moomin World recently and when 5 euro tickets to Turku came on sale we decided to grab that train and have a weekend away.

We stayed in Naantali, a seaside town just out of Turku and home to Moomin World.

Naantali was looking very pretty this summer and we enjoyed eating by the water and wandering through the Old Town.

As well as the wooden shops and cafes, there’s also a beautiful old church. There was a funeral on however and when we went to go in later it was closed.

(I’m still not sure if these are nuns or women on their way to a fancy dress party).

Moomin World itself is a short walk from the Old Town, over a bridge and housed on a small island.

The Moomin family and friends are characters from books written by Tove Jansson and are much-loved in Finland and beyond.

At Moomin World you’ll find all the characters from the books as well as the police station and various homes.

We wandered through three stories of the Moomin family home, sitting on Moomin’s bed and peeking in their cupboards.

If you’re thinking of visiting Naantali or Moomin World, you’ll want to plan your trip as both are only really open during the summer.

But for Moomin fans it’s definitely worth a visit. There are various scenes recreated around the island with characters you can interact with.

We are not that familiar with the stories yet to be honest but I’m sure we soon will be. After meeting and hugging him, Miko told me quietly, ‘Moomin loves me.’

People Soup

July 17, 2015July 17, 2015 / Mel_inHelsinki / 8 Comments

On a beautiful sunny day recently a friend and I decided to take our boys to the Olympic Swimming Stadium. Upon arrival we found our idea was not terribly unique, as the queue snaked out the door.

Once inside we had the choice of four pools – the main pool, a diving pool, a children’s pool & the wading pool.

We opted for the wading pool, which meant we could watch the boys without being in the water the whole time. There’s also a playground and a water slide, which you pay a small fee to use.

The diving pool was busy and an announcement was made over the loud speaker each time the highest platforms were opened for use.

The pools were originally built for the 1940 Summer Olympics, which were cancelled due to the war.The building was completed in time for Helsinki to host the 1952 Summer Olympics and the pools are now open each year from May – September.

I love the way the natural landscape has been kept, with rocks and trees providing places to lie and shelter.

During the war the pools were used to store root vegetables and herring. Here’s hoping that sunny day wasn’t a red herring as we haven’t had such a warm day since.

With up to 5000 people visiting on a good day however, it’s not food you’ll be finding but the phenomenon of a warm crowded swimming pool that I call people soup.

Helsinki Swimming Stadium ( Uimastadion )

Come As You Are

July 5, 2015 / Mel_inHelsinki / 8 Comments

With the sun hardly setting in Helsinki these days, we are taking every opportunity to enjoy dinner outdoors.

Our favourite places Skiffer and Cafe Birgitta only open in summer and they are now in good company with the opening of Hernesaaren Ranta.

Hernesareen Ranta (Hernesaari Beach) is located south-west of the city, in the redeveloping area of Hernesaari (Pea Island).

Bus number 14 will take you almost to the door, but as always there’s also plenty of parking for bikes.

The area is home to a range of eateries, including Piece & Love Pizza and Mexican Chalupa. There’s also a venelaituri (boat pier) for those arriving by boat.

Once ashore there’s many areas to sit and you don’t all have to order food from the same place.

Unfortunately, some food providers are still learning how to run food events efficiently. The night we visited, the Champagne Bar ran out of champagne and the sushi bar was hand-rolling sushi to order, meaning a 25-minute wait for food after a 20-minute wait to order.

Luckily there’s another bar where you can grab a drink while you wait and there’s also a dance floor for those who stay late.

These guys knew how to kill time, turning up for dinner in a boat equipped with a sauna and sofa up on top.

And we’ll be back. With the area measuring 2000m² and open all week from 10am-2am, there’s something for every man and his dog.

Hernesaaren Ranta

It’s a bit hard to find – continue west from Cafe Birgitta, past the public sauna building site until you feel sure you must be lost. Hernesaaren Ranta will appear as if a mirage in the distance, just as you are about to turn back.

To Stockholm by Sea

June 28, 2015May 29, 2016 / Mel_inHelsinki / 18 Comments

One of the best things about living in Helsinki is its proximity to the rest of Europe. While Finns say they feel fairly remote, for those of us facing a 26-hour flight home, anything less is a breeze.

ts_ship_silja serenade © marko stampehl (15)

Photo: Marko Stampehl/AS Tallink Grupp

During the summer months you also have the option of visiting neighbouring countries by boat. By boat, I mean passenger ferries, built to accommodate you and 3000 of your favourite strangers.

With my parents visiting we decided to do the ferry trip to Stockholm, which we’ve been told, pretty much makes us Finnish. We travelled on the Silja Serenade and were welcomed on board by Moomin, musicians and circus performers. The big promenade down the centre of the boat makes orientation really easy.

As well as bars and restaurants, there’s a big play area for children. I sat in there for two hours while Miko played and recommend taking a book, as you need to stay in the area but not really watch your child the whole time. (Magazines in Finnish are provided).

To travel, you pay one ticket price, that covers the fare and accommodation for all those sleeping in your cabin. A cabin with a window costs more, but with the Nordic summer sun visible for nearly 24 hours these days, you may not miss having one.

One of the best things about the trip, that I hadn’t anticipated, was the beautiful views as we drew nearer to Stockholm.

We had a bird’s eye view of the archipelago as we cruised slowly by, fascinated by the remotely set houses and saunas.

Stockholm is a city set over 14 islands, connected by bridges. Once docked, we headed into Gamla Stan (Old Town), via bus.

We passed by beautiful parks full of beautiful Swedish people, before reaching the Royal Palace.

Gamla Stan is full of little streets to lose yourself in, with stores selling books, shoes, waffles and ice cream.

We use the Foursquare app for recommendations on where to eat and were not disappointed with the lunch we had at Under Kastanjen.

After an ice cream in the sun, we headed to the Nobel Museum, leaving Mum & Dad to tour through while we had a drink and people-watched in the Old Town Square.

Later, on board the boat, we got a window seat and enjoyed drinks and the view, which once again was absolutely captivating. By the time we arrived back in Helsinki the next morning we agreed – we all had a case of Stockholm Syndrome.

Good to know:

Silja Line ferries dock a bit further out of town. Allow 20-30 mins for the bus into town, which is very easy to catch.
The currency of Sweden is the krona (SEK)
If you are a Club One member, take your card on board as you can earn points and get discounts
The duty free stores onboard have better prices than the cafes for things like chocolate
There are also big savings on Finnish souvenirs, like Moomin mugs (19€ on land, 13€ at sea)

A Midsummer Night’s Dream

June 21, 2015June 21, 2015 / Mel_inHelsinki / 6 Comments

Midsummer ( Juhannus ) is one of the biggest events on the Finnish calendar and is celebrated on the Saturday after June 19. With the biggest events happening on Midsummer’s Eve, we set off to the island of Seurasaari for some traditional Finnish celebrations.

We’ve had a lot of rain this week, but the sun was out and the island is looking beautiful, covered in wildflowers and green.

We love how the landscape here is left untamed and unshaped over summer, just left free to do its own thing.

There was quite an extensive program on, with traditional crafts, singing, storytellers and puppet shows set up around the island.

At one place you could make your own head wreath, choosing flowers from baskets of wildflowers.

We stopped for a while in a clearing and the boys had turns on stilts while I went for a ride on a horse-drawn cart.

Next we went down to the main events area and had our picnic dinner and wine. There was a flag procession and singing and Jonathan got drawn into dancing a Finnish folk dance, much to his discomfort and our immense delight.

We soon followed Jonathan and his band of merry dancers down to the beach for the lighting of the first of the bonfires.

Midsummer bonfires are called kokko, which is also the name of a mythical bird of iron and fire from Finnish folklore, similar to a phoenix.

Despite the appearance that the sun was still rising in the sky, it was soon time for us to head off and get Miko to bed.

For those who stayed there was music and dancing until 1 am and more bonfires lit beneath the midnight sun.

Seurasaari is an open air museum and home to examples of Finnish architecture from across the ages and country. My parents are visiting from New Zealand and enjoyed checking out the different buildings on our way back to the bus.

You can tell by our clothing that it wasn’t a particularly warm night on Friday, with the temperature hitting a high of just 14 degrees. That was 14 degrees warmer than last year however, so in comparison it really was a Midsummer Night’s Dream.

Save it for a rainy day

June 14, 2015June 14, 2015 / Mel_inHelsinki / 4 Comments

Sorry Helsinki – I seem to have made it rain. My parents are visiting and asked yesterday if it rains very often here. I laughed and said ‘No! Hardly at all,’ and it hasn’t stopped raining since. Luckily Helsinki is not only set up for outdoor fun but inside adventures too.

There are a few indoor playgrounds in the city but the one we’ve been to the most is Snadi Stadi. Based five floors underground in the suburb of Ruoholahti, it boasts 3000 square metres of games and activities for children.

There’s an area for children under 3 and the rest of the place is for kids of all ages to basically go nuts.

We first went with Miko’s paternal grandmother who kept accidentally beating him very convincingly at air hockey, no matter how hard she tried to lose.

As well as arcade games and floor hockey, there’s also a big bike path that runs around the centre of the arena. Some of the bikes have room for two kids, which is great for the little ones who want to hitch a ride.

Miko’s favourite thing is the skate ramp which has scooters and skateboards and basketballs to shoot hoops.

There are also these crazy horses that you ride by pushing down on the stirrups with your feet, which propels them around the room.

There’s even a place for children’s hair cuts, complete with distractions for the wriggliest child.

To be honest the worst thing about Snadi Stadi is that it’s a bit boring for adults as your child will just run off and play for four hours and leave you sitting to the side. Take a friend or take a book and take some money for coffee (although your first is free with entry).

Perhaps my favourite thing about the place is this crazy picture near the ball pit of a child, dressed as a bear, walking an inflatable whale on a lead.

Hopefully we won’t be seeing too much of it over the next few months as I have realised the power of my words and their direct impact on meteorological events….*

Snadi Stadi – summer tickets are now 32€, which will get you entry throughout June & July

* I don’t actually believe I made it rain **

** well, maybe a little bit

A great new way to see old things

June 4, 2015June 5, 2015 / Mel_inHelsinki / 6 Comments

I went to Taidehalli (art gallery) for the first time recently. Yes, I had heard their cafe was housed in my favourite restaurant Farang, but I am interested in other things too, like you know, art.

I had a nice time looking around but was a bit rushed to ensure I had enough time left to visit the gift shop before I had to pick up Miko.

I was a bit puffed as I left, but happy that I’d managed some shop time as well as seeing everything on exhibition, leaving me feeling I had achieved value for money from the price of the entry fee.

Many of Helsinki’s museums have a day a month where entry is free. It’s such a good offer and yet when I took Miko along yesterday with his grandparents to the Natural History Museum, it turns out lots of other people think so too. It was super busy.

Which is why the new Museum Card ( museokortti ) launched by the Finnish Museums Association is such a great idea. For €54 you get entry into nearly 200 museums in Finland for an entire year, meaning you can pop into your favourites again and again without feeling you should stay all day.

I’m not sure I’ll get to all 200 this year but there are loads I’d like to visit and I’m grateful to have been given a Museum Card to see as many as I can. Which ironically will allow me to turn my free time into more time by spending less time on each visit – while still having time to visit each museum’s gift shop and cafe.

Special thanks to The Finnish Museums Association for my museokortti and also to regular reader Urmas who leaves great comments and brought the Museum Card to my attention in the first place.

Museum Card (Finnish) – You can buy your museokortti here or at participating museums. Use the details on your temporary card to register online and a plastic card with your name on it will be sent to your address. Registration of your card happens from your first visit, not just when you buy online, and is valid for 12 months. It would make a great gift for someone, including those who visit Finland regularly.

Taidehalli

Face painting for beginners

May 21, 2015May 22, 2015 / Mel_inHelsinki / 6 Comments

I really like Lokal and was happy to see recently they were having an artist in to paint pictures of the public.

I booked a time for Miko and told him that a man was going to paint his portrait. ‘My what?’ he asked. ‘Your portrait,’ I said. ‘You know, paint your face.’

When we arrived another family were just finishing their sitting, so Miko explored the joy of infinity in the mirrors while we waited.

When it was his turn to sit, Miko wriggled around until I told him he had to sit as still as he did last week when the doctor was trying to pull a piece of lego out of his nose. ‘Out of your nose?’ asked the artist. ‘How did it get up there?’

‘Oh,’ explained Miko patiently. ‘It was Star Wars lego and it jumped up there.’

Matti Pikkujämsä is a Finnish artist who does a lot of illustration in Japan. He also made the wooden animals featured in Lokal’s Wild Animals Helsinki exhibition.

Finished and pleased with the result, Matti and Miko posed for a photo before we headed home.

‘Do you like it?’ I asked Miko. ‘Yes,’ he said, smiling. ‘But Mummy, I thought you said he was going to paint my face.’

Hey Helsinki

A New Zealand girl in Finland

Collaboration with Bolt of Cloth

Miko and the Great Danes

Moomin loves you

People Soup

Come As You Are

To Stockholm by Sea

A Midsummer Night’s Dream

Save it for a rainy day

A great new way to see old things

Face painting for beginners

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